The Selection has been cut down to the finals. Down to three is when Maxon has to choose who he wants in a wife, and the Queen of Illea. Which is why Maxon is keeping it at four, dragging the competition on so that he does not have to make a choice, the four being: Celeste, Kirss, Elise and America. Celeste Newsome, a two, was a model, but it was not just her looks that Maxon kept Celeste around. Being a two not only was she the highest in the caste of the girls, but also have friends in high places, which is looking high upon by the King, and by Maxon. Then it is Kriss Ambers, a three and no doubt Maxon’s favorite. This kindhearted soul truly loves Maxon, and would love him if he was a six or an eight, and was in this competition for his heart and not the crown. Elise Whisks, a four, was here in a business arrangement. Where girls are married off in her family, she saw Maxon not as a husband but a good business partner. Love has been never in her cards, thus she cannot be with Maxon the way the other girls are, yet her ties to New Asia kept her in the competition, plus the fact once she is gone Maxon would have to choose. America Singer, a five, and what could not be said about her? Brave, yes, kind, yes, a fool, also a yes, and an irrational loudmouth who truly does not think before she speaks – again another yes. Maxon had his heart set out for America from the start, yet she has to rebuild his trust after her performance, and with the king looking down on her as well, America might just have to fight to stay alive. After all, what she has above the other girls, is not just her low caste, but the fact that she truly does love Maxon, and he loves her too.

Down to four, the whole Kingdom is going crazy to see who Maxon will pick. The girls are getting antsy, trying to pick apart each other to see what they have done with Maxon and what the others have not. Kirss who is refusing to let Maxon kiss her, Celeste who had a few good kissing sessions with him, America let it slipped that he took off his shirt (but did not tell them the reason why). Queen Amberley tries to remind the girls that these are the closes friends you will ever get, and slowly it starts to sink in.  America starts to see Kriss as the way Maxon sees her, Elise is not that bad, and America finally see under the tough girl act of Celeste, and created a brand new friendship, the strongest one America might ever have. Still there was the fact she was sharing her future husband with three other girls, something America cannot get over. Yet when Maxon takes her to the roof and tells her this as they dance: “You’re worth it. I don’t think you get that. You’re worth it to me”, America works even harder to prove her love for him. King Clarkson has different ideas for his son, trying to make him do anything else besides picking America, sadly that is what the opposite party wants to do. The Northern Rebels come to talk to Maxon and America and explain the deal they want to strike up: they will help fight the Southern rebels, only if Maxon destroys the caste system and picks America. “I felt as if my heart was on the edge of bursting, and I just wanted everything to end today. MY world had settled onto a new axis, and it felt like the only way to handle how dizzy it made me was for us to finally be real. I felt certain now that it would come. It would have to. Soon”. The rebels, the King, Maxon, the fact she still has not put Aspen in his place, and a death close to her heart, America will have to fight for everything she loves, or else she will lose it all.

Kiera Cass, wow, just wow. If the series lost your interest in The Elite, then The One is going to take back your interest and raise it a level at that. This book grabs you by the arm and leads you towards the fork in the road between misery and bliss, and leaves you there for what feels like years. Honestly, as a person who believes you should always show your feelings (the good and the bad) America just told Maxon she loves him, then a whole mess could have been avoided. From Maxon side, it totally made sense, this is his one chance to find someone to love, real and true love. He is a nineteen-year-old male, who is going to get married before twenty and all he has is thirty-five girls to pick from. Lucky for him, he narrows it down quite a bit, but knowing he found her on day one. Still, he has backups (which America blames him for), two for public and political views, one he likes, and then her. Yet how can he choose America, when she would not even say she loves him, and plays the hot and cold diva act on him several times throughout their relationship. Then America wonders why he does not pick her: because you have given him no reason to!  The death in this book, made sense, but you do not have to be happy about it, but it did bring America more character development and make her finally settle on her feelings for Maxon, and for Aspen. As her first love, and best friend, Aspen will always be a part of her life, but that does not mean she loves him in the way she loves Maxon. Only now she must let Aspen know her feelings, and explain to Maxon that she loves him, and been keeping a lover on the side for most of their relationship. With a shocking climax, nothing in this world could explain how heart wrenching there last few chapters are in a good and terrible way. With the rebels advancing, not even the help of the northern rebels, can keep this slaughtering away. The wedding at the end is spectacular, one of the best weddings you might ever read, that leaves you with a warm pit in your stomach and heavy eyes, as you can can put the love story of a five name America Singer, and a Prince Maxon, truly unique love story to rest.